A Millennial's Guide to Making Breakfast for Your Parents

When you go home for the holidays, it's easy to feel like you've suddenly been regressed to your childhood self, sleeping in your childhood bedroom and being served snacks in bowls. But you're a grown-ass adult who can do grown-ass adult things like make breakfast for your parents. And sure, you might not be able answer your relatives' loaded questions about what you want to do with your life, but at least you can prepare a breakfast to impress your parents. Not only does making breakfast for your parents while you're home for Thanksgiving (or Christmas or, really, any other time) make a point about your adulting skills, it also shows that you're grateful for your parents (assuming you're all still talking!), which is really what the holidays are all about.

The best part is that making an impressive breakfast for your parents—or your partner's parents or any other adult-like figure in your life who needs impressing—doesn't have to be hard. Even a simple platter of pancakes, eggs, and bacon can be fancy if you cook them properly.

So even if you're a back-home baller, put in a little bit of effort and show your parents and family members your appreciation by making them an easy but impressive breakfast this holiday season. If you use these these tips, you'll be sure to ace it. Just be sure to clean up after yourself in the kitchen when you're done.

Foolproof Pancakes

If you want to make super-fluffy pancakes, even while using regular old box mix, try separating the yolks and egg whites. Incorporate the yolks into the batter first, then whip up the egg whites in a separate bowl and gently fold them into the batter. If that sounds too complicated, you can always try making three-ingredient banana pancakes (that are also super healthy) from Extra Crispy's chef Jiselle Basile, and if you still have a tendency to mess up pancakes regularly, writer Caroline Lange has some tips on how to fix common pancake fails. You also can't really go wrong if you throw some chocolate chips or blueberries onto the cooktop while they fry, too.

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Crispy—or Chewy—Bacon

Whether your parents like their bacon extra crispy or with a little bit of a chew, the best way to make bacon is in the oven. Basile recommends cooking your bacon on a baking sheet at 400° F for about 15 minutes. You'll also be able to make a whole packet of bacon at once, which will definitely please your parents and any other family members who might be rummaging about. Be sure to get rid of your bacon grease correctly, too, if you really want to impress your parents.

Soft Scrambled Eggs

One of the cardinal sins of scrambled eggs is overcooking them; that's when they become tough and bitter. According to Basile, the easiest ways to ensure that you won't overcook your scrambled eggs is by "taking your pan off the stove when your eggs are still slightly runny and wet." The eggs will continue cooking as you serve them, and you'll have happy, well-fed parents.

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Unbreakable Omelet

There's no need to sweat if your parents prefer omelets to scrambled eggs. You can make an omelet that won't crack and break into eggy shards. For best results, don't add any milk or cream to your omelet; that'll keep the omelet from crumbling. You can also fold some of that pancake batter into the egg mixture to make some slightly sweet, definitely fluffy omelets.